This year give the gift of gratitude

The Holidays are all about giving, especially about material giving. It's a time when credit cards get stretched, and when we worry about running out of money. And let's not forget the stress about finding the right gift for someone.

Neuroplasticity – why you can change your brain

It’s fascinating how resilient the brain is and how it can miraculously rewire and restore itself. There are so many stories about people who, after extensive injuries or having part of their brain taken out, have recovered the lost function as one part of the brain takes over the damaged or missing part. In this series of brain blogs, I will be exploring ways to change and improve our own brains – neuroplasticity.

Some resources for diagnosing ADHD

Every child (and adult) with ADHD or ADD is unique. If for most ADHD sufferers it is true that DHA (omega-3) levels are too low, that doesn’t mean it is automatically true for your own kid. So test before and after you start taking or administering omega-3 supplements. Here are some options:

Your brain needs phospholipids

People with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) often have a deficiency in omega-3s and phospholipids. Unfortunately, omega-3 phospholipids can be found in only a few natural sources. The most studied source is cow brain. However, that research came to a crashing halt when, in 1986, mad cow disease broke out in the UK. Now it is no longer a good idea to eat brain or spinal-cord tissue.

ADHD patients need sugar, but the right kind

ADHD and ADD patients are severely limited because they typically run on sugar. And typically, they function well for a few minutes, and then crash when their brains have used up all the glucose (sugar). In my neurofeedback clinic, the objective is to learn new brain patterns and behaviors, but it is frustrating for both patient and therapist when only the first 5-10 minutes of a session can be used optimally.

First feed the brain, and then challenge the brain

I often see patients in my neurofeedback practice who do not have enough brain energy to develop new brain patterns. They quickly burn through their glucose (sugar) and completely lose their productivity during the remainder of the session. This is not only unproductive and costly, but also frustrating for both patient and therapist.

Why fats matter for kids with ADHD

Clinical research from Aker BioMarine shows that children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) who took krill oil for 13 weeks normalized their electrical brain-activity patterns through QEEG brain mapping. This was somewhat to be expected, because krill oil contains DHA phospholipids, a major bra